Airplane



E. SCHMIDT Nbv. 19, 1929.

AIRPLANE Filed April 25, 1928- 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Nov. 19, 1929 PATENT OFFICE EUGENE SCHMIDT, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA AIRPLANE Application filed April 25,

My invention relates to new and useful propelling means and their application to air-ships the said term air-ship designating either heavier-than-air craft or buoyant ships known as dirigibles or similar air-craft.

The main object of the invention is to provide new and novel propelling means of simple and efficient construction and embodying certain features and advantages hereinafter fully set forth and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a top View of an air plane of the so-called monoplane type with my improved propelling means, only the right hand half of the plane wing being shown to more clearly expose the left side propeller.

Fig. 2 is a left side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the plane body as at line 3-3 in Fig. 1 and showing a modified mounting of the propelling means.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of Figs. 1 or 2.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional elevation taken on a plane just above the propeller wing wheels of my devices as on line 5-5 in Fig. 4:.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a dirigible airship embodying a number of my propeller devices mounted in its cabin frame.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals 1O designates the elongated cabin or body of an airplane, tapering rearwardly and having the usual necessary adjustable elevating and steering members 11. 12 is the supporting wheel carriage under the cabm and 13 represents any suitable type of ground engaging tail piece adapted to glide on the ground and support the tail end of the machine. In the cabin are illustrated a number of windows 14 and a door 15. 16 is the airplane wing there being only one shown for the monoplane type although it will be readily understood that my propelling means are adaptable for biplanes, triplanes and other r types of air-craft, a monoplane and a ding-1- ble aircraft only being illustrated to sufliciently illustrate my invention.

My improved device comprises a propeller and certain setting therefor in an air craft the propeller being provided in number and 1928. Serial No. 272,713.

sizes according to the design of the air-craft, speed requirements and other governing factors. It will be observed in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive that the body or cabin 10 may be of general shape resembling the regular torpedo shape of air-craft commonly used but I do not employ the usual type of blade propeller hitherto universally used and mounted at the front end. My propelling means consists of one or more devices which for convenience might most aptly be termed a propeller wheel 17 comprising each a series of evenly spaced radial fiat blades fixed in a hub 18 with their inner ends and the outer end or edge parts of all the blades being flanged angularly as at 17 F in the same direction. The hub 18 is suitably fixed to a drive shaft 19 which may be an extension of the crank shaft of a motor 20 or suitably connected with such crank shaft to be rotated thereby. There may be a motor for each propeller as illustrated or one motor delivering power to rotate two or more such propellers (not shown) by suitable power transmission means.

In Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, I have illustrated a monoplane with two of my propellers one at each side of the car or body 10 and directly under the wing 16, both propellers mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane and their drive shafts 19 being of course vertical and journaled above and below the propeller in a pair of horizontally and outwardly directed flat frame pieces 21 fixed rigidly to the sides of the car: Forward of the shafts 19 the side frames 21 are each provided with a fixed vertical wall 22 extending outwardly far enough to cut off or deflect air from passing through the frame 21 inwardly of the shaft 19. The propellers are rotated in a direction to dig into the air forward of their shafts 19 and throw it rearwardly and outwardly of the shaft, as indicated by the arrows 23 in Figs. 3 and 5.

Thus it will readily be understood that the propeller blades are exposed only where the blades are working rearwardly and throwing air current in that direction to propel the craft forward, the Wall 22 preventing direct air pressure against the blades of the propeller moving forward.

In the mounting and operation of the parts above described the propellers are outward of the body 10, but in Fig. 3 a single propeller is shown on a horizontal shaft mounted to rotate between vertical frame members 21, the shaft- 19 being approximately on a common plane with the underside of the cab 10 necessitating an upward recess in the 'cab' having a transverse front wall 22 correspond ing to the wall 22 in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. From the inner and upper part of this wall 22 the recess is formed by a rearwardly extending wall or partition 24: extending past the upper part of the pro ieller and thence rearwardly and angularly to connect with the bottom of cab 10 as at 10C. In this view 25 designates a motor chamber in which may be mounted a suitable motor (not shown) and properly connected with shaft 19 to rotate the propeller. 26 is the cab floor. In this type of air-craft the motor is more readily accessible, but in any mounting of my device the important feature of the mounting is the transverse front wall 22 cutting off direct air pres sure on the forwardly moving wings of my propeller and the sloping rcarwardly extending wall 24. deflecting rearwardly any air current which may come inwardly to ward the cab, and thus getting a maximum forward pushing action by the blades of the propeller moving rearwardly and outwardly of the drive shaft.

In Fig. 6 is illustrated a dirigible air-craft having the usual elongated gas bag 27 tapered toward both ends. 28 is an elongated outside frame extending from front to rear at both sides of the main bag and suitably connected with to form an integral part of the'main bag frame. At predetermined locations in each side frame 28 are provided a number of my propeller devices and motors therefor as shown and between said propellers suitable passenger or freight cabins 29.

It is obvious that in the use of my propelling means for heavier-than-air ships the usual steering and level or angle attaining means hitherto in use may be also used with any device. It is further obvious that in the.

plane construction involved in the use of my device there are no strong rearwardly directed air currents from a point forward of the plane as in the case where'the usual ty e of prope ler is used forward of the plane ca It may be necessary in some aircrafts embody in g my invention to mount the latter to operate in angular positions but these and other variations in details of mounting and operation may be incorporated without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention, the use of which has been fully set forth in the preceding specification.

I claim:

1. An aircraft propelling device comprising a number of rotatable propellers each consisting of a number of radial flat blades fixed on a hub, a drive shaft fixed in said hub and suitably connected with a source of power for rotating it, a depression formed in the air craft and frame mean in which said propeller shaft is journaled, a wind-break in said frameforward of the propeller and comprising a transverse wall deflecting air currents toward the Wings of said propeller outward of saidpropeller shaft and an inner rigid wall extending rearwardly from said front wall past said propeller and terminating in spaced relation and rearwardly of said propeller, said source of power arranged to rotate said propeller with its outer blades to movezrearwardly away from said transverse wall.

2. The structure specified in claim -1 in which said aircraft comprises in part a buoyant elongated body, and further'an elongated frame at each side of said body and a number of said propellers mounted in each said frame.

in testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EUGENE SCHMIDT. 

